Black Canary
Background Being the daughter of two crimefighters -- Dinah Drake Lance, the original Black Canary and Larry Lance, private investigater -- one might argue that Dinah Laurel Lance had it in her blood. Unless, of course, that one is her mother who argued most fervently /against/ her daughter following in her footsteps. In truth, Dinah the Original had only herself to blame for her daughter's desire to don her leotard and fishnets; Dinah the Second had been raised on stories of her mother's time in the JSA by her "Uncles" such as Ted 'Wildcat' Grant who also took an interest in teaching her to brawl, though her true talent lay in judo. While Dinah trained intensely in secret, eventually the truth came out -- resulting in a shouting match between her and her parents as they argued over whether or not she should follow in her mother's footsteps. Just as abruptly as it began, the shouting match ended in Dinah's favor when her metagene activated and she, quite literally, shouted her parents down when her Canary Cry sent them through a wall. At nineteen, Dinah finally donned the fishnets and black leather to fight crime as the costumed heroine Black Canary. It was a busy time in her life; not only did she part from her parents, but she married her boyfriend Craig Windrow -- only to divorce nine months later. After the divorce, Dinah threw herself into her crime-fighting activities as a way to work through the feelings of frustration, doubt, and depression that followed in the aftermath of the divorce. While successful for the most part, it only took one bad brawl to put her out of the game. After facing off against a group of street-toughs, Dinah was outnumbered and left with several serious injuries, including several cracked ribs and a broken arm. She returned home to her parents for a time to heal and recuperate, while having to endure several 'I Told You So' talkings-to from her mother. During her down-time, Dinah lent a helping hand (the one that wasn't in a cast and sling) to her parents in their flower shop. After her initial grumbling, she discovered that she actually enjoyed the work. It was calming, and gave her plenty of time to think. Or, if she didn't want to think, she could zone out while listening to music and just make pretty flower arrangements. Further, her parents were very impressed with her work and were glad to see her doing normal activities and not kicking people in the face. With time, Dinah's injuries healed. As soon as the cast was off of her arm, she went right back to hitting things, though at first, it was inanimate objects that couldn't hit back, as her formerly broken arm needed to be worked out before she would hit the streets again. Eventually, though, she did hit the streets -- and the thugs that prowled them. As soon as she was confident that she was back on her game, Dinah applied for a membership with the Justice League -- and much to her delight and amazement -- she was accepted into their ranks. One cannot operate in Gotham for very long without attracting attention. She soon caught the attention of a group known as the Birds of Prey and was inducted into their ranks as well. It was a good time for Dinah, until she learned of her mother's cancer. It spread quickly and mercilessly, and within the month, Dinah the Original passed on. Both father and daughter were devastated by the loss, and her father did not take it well. He wasted away, following her mother to the everafter within two months of her passing. Following her parents' deaths, Dinah coped with the pain of loss in the only way she knew how: by kicking bad guys in the face. If she was going to hurt, so was anyone who crossed her path. She dedicated herself to her vigilante lifestyle, and never really bothered or cared enough to hide her identity behind a mask. There are days when all she really cares to do is sit back and artfully arrange some roses in an overpriced glass vase, but nary a night goes by that she isn't on the streets and in the back alleys of Gotham, bringing the pain and justice. Personality Peacekeeper: When things get heated between members of her respective organizations, Dinah often steps in to play peacekeeper -- despite her temper and often engaging in rather heated arguments herself. She's smart enough to know that disputes are better resolved peacefully, rather than arguing, even if she doesn't tend to practice what she preaches. Technophobe: Dinah's dislike of computers is well-known, and even a bit of a joke among her peers. When given a choice between a high-tech solution and a low-tech one, she'll always pick the low-tech answer unless there's a damn good reason not to. Principles: Despite the fact that her Canary Cry alone would put an end to nearly every fight, Dinah prefers not to use it. It's less fun, and just takes away the satisfaction of going toe-to-toe with her foes, of proving to herself and them that she's simply better. Generally, she reserves the Cry for when she's battling significantly more powerful metahuman opponents in order to level the playing field. Reckless: Dinah likes to take risks. She lives to drive fast and furious. She loves the adrenaline high. She makes snap judgments in the heat of the moment, and doesn't hesitate to put herself in danger especially if it is going to take the heat off of a teammate. These risky decisions are not made lightly, nor with a disregard for potential consequences. She's fully aware of the dangers inherit in her decisions, but that just makes them more interesting. Temper: To say that Dinah has a bit of a temper is like saying that water is kind of wet. She's not some rage-fueled, hot-headed monster, but when she gets riled, she gets /riled/. She's also been known to hold grudges when something sets her off, even if they're not even logical grudges. Stubborn: Once Dinah has set her mind on something, that's it. Throw in the towel, because there's no changing her mind. Well... almost no changing her mind. It would take a very, very good argument to dissuade her once she's really decided on something, but it can be done. It's not /likely/, but it can be done. Logs Coming soon! Category:Characters Category:Features Category:Hero Category:Taken